Summer 2008 Worship Schedule

We are excited to announce that beginning May 25 and continuing through August 31,  will will have 2 worship services at 8:30 & 10:30 respectively.  Our 8:30 service will be very simular to our current 8:15 & 11:00 services.  The 10:30 service is a new service that incorporates both the Contemporary Praise Service and the current 11:00 service.  Both services will offer Holy Communion as well as sermons. Time between services will allow for fellowhip and other opportunities. Come and join us this summer for a new and exciting worship experience!

Whichever service you choose to attend, whoever you are and from whatever worship experiences you may come, know you will be warmly welcomed and immediately one of us as we all seek to see and serve our loving Lord.



Additional information about worship related ministries:


Music Ministry

Advent offers a wide variety of musical programming for all ages, interests and skill levels. If you just love to sing to the Lord, you can begin in the preschool Cherub Choir and retire in the Chancel Choir or Praise Band. If instruments excite you, then the children or adult chimes and bell choirs will offer you a great way to gain or sharpen skills in a fun, relaxed setting. Be on the lookout for special event programming throughout the church year and join us as we share talents, fellowship, and, most importantly, the same purpose.

Praise the Lord in Song!

Midwinter Musical Programming

WEDNESDAY OFFERINGS

6:30-7:00pm CHERUB CHOIR--This group led by Stacy Eichelberger and Kelly Schrader is open to preschool aged children. Be prepared for an active, movement filled and spirit led half hour class meeting in the last preschool room. Cherub Choir will sing once a month in the Contemporary worship service and is currently meeting every Wednesday.


7:30-9:00 pm CHANCEL CHOIR--This group led by Annette Nolan is open to singers high school through beyond retirement age who want to sing their praise to God at the blended service every Sunday in the Sanctuary. Whether you can read music or not, please lend us your voice and join us for fun and fellowship. We can always use more voices and talents to swell our ranks! Not sure? We invite you to join us for the Lenten and Easter seasons to see what the Chancel Choir is all about. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesdays! This group is currently meeting every Wednesday from 6:45-8:00 PM in the Choir Music Room (at end of preschool hall).

THURSDAY OFFERINGS

6:10-6:40pm CHILDREN’S CHOIR--This group led by Miss Annette will offer a joyful noise to the Lord, serving children 2nd through 6th grade (ages 8-12) and will meet in the Sanctuary beginning February 14. Spirited, fun and adventurous, this is one group that could use a crowd controller! Children’s Choir will sing once a month in either the Sanctuary or Orinson Hall.


6:45-7:20pm CHILDREN’S BELLS--This group led by Miss Louise is open to ringers 2nd through 6th grade (ages 8-12) who want to learn the fine art of bell ringing. This group will meet in the Choir Music Room (at end of preschool hall) beginning February 14 and will ring once a month in the Sanctuary blended worship service.


7:30-8:30pm ADULT BELLS--This group led by Louise Lehnert is open to ringers high school age through beyond retirement, both experienced and inexperienced, who want to learn to ring or further hone their bell ringing skills. Come for fun and fellowship to learn a skill which is always a treat for both ringers and congregants alike! This group will meet in the Choir Music Room (at end of preschool hall) and will ring once a month in Sunday’s worship service. Please ring in the fun starting February 14.



7:30-9:00pm Praise Band and Praise Singers--This group led by Annette Nolan is open to singers and instrumentalists of high school age through beyond retirement who want to offer their praise to God at the contemporary service every Sunday in Orinson Hall. Whether you can read music or not, we need your voice and instruments to help us serve as worship leaders in an ever growing service. Not sure about a weekly commitment? Join with us for the Lenten and Easter season to see what the Praise Band and Singers can offer you spiritually. We welcome ALL talents and interests and look forward to your joining with us! This group will meet on Wednesdays in Orinson Hall from 8:00-9:15 PM for rehearsals.


FOR YOUR ANTICIPATION: LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL BEGINNING CHIMES AND FAMILY CHIMES TO ROLL OUT ON WEDNESDAYS AFTER THE LENTEN/EASTER SEASON!

For further information on Advent's music ministry please contact Annette Nolan at 704-549-1555, ext. 111, or email annetten@adventlu.org


Children and Worship

The Christian faith is more caught than taught. That's why we encourage parents to bring their children to worship. We don't expect children to sit through worship like adults; we want to give them the freedom to act like children. Most of all, we want them to love the church, and strive to provide a worship experience that is positive for all ages. Here are a few suggestions for when you bring children to worship:

* The Nursery is provided for children from birth up to age 3. It is staffed by a professional day-care worker at all worship services and during the Sunday School hour. Because of the large number of children at Advent, volunteers from the congregation also take turns serving.

* A Cry Room where parents can keep their children with them and they don't disturb others is available to the left rear of the sanctuary.

* Children's Sermons are for children of any age. Parents are welcome to come forward with younger children who may be fearful.

* Children's Bulletins, based on the day's lectionary, are available.

* Children's Bulletins come in two versions: one is for children age 3-6 and the other is for age 7-12.

* Children's Church is for age 3 through second grade. After the children's sermon they can go with a teacher to a class designated for this age group; they will be accompanied back to church in time for Holy Communion.

* Holy Communion is available to all children who have been baptized. At Advent, we offer pre-communion instruction during the Lenten season for children who are in grade 2 or older. In addition parents of younger children may also choose to include them in the Lord's Supper after the parents attend a special class with the pastor. Those children who do not yet commune may come forward to receive a special blessing.

* We suggest you sit in the back pews with small children so you can easily exit when they become fussy (infants and toddlers). As children get older, you might try moving to the front pews so they can see what's going on. Worship isn't very satisfying when all you can see is the back of a pew or someone's head.

* Quiet activities for young children are encouraged during worship, such as books, toys and other activities. We encourage you to bring these with you.

Worship Board

Most of the Board's work is done behind the scenes, with the exception of the visibility of the choir, hand bells and Praise Band. The Lay Readers, Lay Pastors, Acolytes, etc. fall under the Board but we do not provide the training or scheduling for them. We also sponsor the Altar Guild.

Christian Education

The Christian Education Board provides opportunities for members and visitors of all ages to fulfill their baptismal and confirmation promises by providing learning experiences that nurtures faith development and provides the tools for living a Christian life.

The board oversees:
- Sunday school for children, youth and adults
- Disciple Bible Study classes, Bible studies, and book discussions
- Confirmation classes
- First Communion classes
- Rally Day
- The Advent Fair
- The Christmas Play
- Lent programs for children
- Good Friday retreat for children
- Vacation Bible School
- Establishing a library
- Evaluating and ordering educational resources
such as Church periodicals and Sunday School materials




Youth

"Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." Mt. 19:14

The Youth Board helps the Youth Director with planning and providing programs for all school-age youth at Advent. Advisors work with separate age groups to hold regular meetings, go on fun outings, and coordinate service opportunities. Parents are heavily involved, of course, but our new emphasis on Family Ministry provides an open invitation to all to become involved.

More information about Advent's Youth and Family Ministry is available here

Witness Ministry

The mission of our Witness Ministry is to devise and implement plans to help our congregation walk with our community as we try to live out the Gospel together. We also strive to stimulate living and sharing the Christian faith among all of our congregation’s disciples.

The Witness Ministry is fortunate to have people greet and contact our guests as they visit with us. We value their presence among us, and we feel honored to follow-up with them as we are able. We invite our guests to join us at Newcomer Classes in order for them to learn more about Advent and give us an opportunity to know them better as they continue to worship among us. Our Ambassador Program gives us a chance to develop a more personal relationship with our returning guests.

Advertising is a part of our ministry that we enjoy because we get a chance to share with others and our community what our diverse congregation is all about. We value our ‘new faces’ at Advent every time we update one of our many picture boards. We value the power of prayer as we encourage all disciples in our midst to pray for those within our congregation and those outside our church walls as we ‘Love God, Serve Neighbor’ in our daily lives.



ADVENTure Preschool

The mission of our program is to provide a ministry to families and young children in our church and surrounding community by providing responsible Christian care and guidance while also offering developmentally appropriate opportunities for the child to socialize and grow with others of his/her developmental level.

As we continue to grow we always are in the need of volunteers to come and join us for some great fun working with young children. We serve a very diverse group of children and families from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Come and experience the joy of young children for yourself.

More information about ADVENTure Preschool is available here


Campus Ministry

'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matt. 25:40

The vision of campus ministry is to provide food, water, clothes and shelter for our young brothers and sisters who are just beginning to forge their own paths in this world. We serve college students who are members of Advent and children of members of Advent. To send out our prayers and God's love for them, we oversee a card and care package ministry during exams, birthdays and holidays. We also strive to extend Advent's outreach to the UNC Charlotte community that exists across the street from us. In the fall, we help students move-in their dorms and provide `welcome packs' to those who come to worship with us. We sponsor a prayer breakfast that feeds and nurtures the faculty/staff who serve at Charlotte area colleges. We protect and support the shelter that we provide for the United Christian Fellowship and Pastor Steve Cheyney. We provide meals throughout each semester for them, including an exam breakfast. We value and uphold their mission as fellow workers in God's kingdom.




Advocacy

The mission of the Advocacy Board is to provide opportunities for members of Advent to learn about community issues that concern them and to help them find methods and target for advocacy to voice their concerns as effectively as possible. The Board's mission is to gather relevant information, disseminate it to the congregation, provide times for members to discuss it, and to help members act, or not, as they see fit. Wherever appropriate, the Board will coordinate its efforts with advocacy organizations of which Advent is a member: the Synod's Advocacy Office, Bread for the World, Mecklenburg Ministries, and HELP (Helping Empower Local People).




Social Ministry

The vision of the Social Ministry Board is the magnification of Advent's motto, "Love God, Serve neighbor."ˇ We strive to do this by developingˇ hands on ministries to serve our neighbors locally and by building missionary outreach to serve neighbors in North Carolina and overseas.ˇ Just a few of the ministries that we are involved in are CROP walk, Room in the Inn, Sandwich Making, Red Cross Blood Drive and the Peru Mission.

Lay Pastor Ministry

Advent’s lay pastor ministry is based on the idea that our ordained pastors cannot do God’s work alone and that lay people have the gifts and biblical calling to pastor to each other. Our ministry is based on the model developed by Mel Steinbron. We are a member of Lay Pastor Ministry International. Our first seminar was conducted in 1994 and six Lay Pastors were commissioned.

Over the years we have commissioned over 40 Lay Pastors and have reached over 200 of Advent’s families. We currently have 25 Lay Pastors and are ministering to 180 of Advent’s families. Our Lay Pastors commit to the acrostic PACE. They promise to pray for each of their flock families daily, to be available to them in times of joy and in times of sorrow, to contact them a minimum of once a month and to providea Christian example. Confidentiality is the keystone of our ministry. To become a Lay Pastor one must attend a two day Equipping Seminar, submit an application form and be commissioned. for each of their flock families daily, to be them a minimum of once a month and to provide a Christian

To learn more about this ministry at Advent, please contact MaryLou Kuklentz at the church office.


Finance Board

The mission of the Finance Board is to manage your monetary contributions to Advent. We gather the needs identified by Advent's ministry Boards to compile and operating budget for approval and amendment by the Church Council and the congregation at large. We meet monthly to audit the Treasurer's and Financial Secretary's reports and monitor the congregation's cash flow. We make recommendations to council, as necessary, to maintain a balance between donations and expenditures. We provide trained teams of counters to count your weekly contributions.




Nurture and Fellowship Board

This Board encourages active involvement of all members and visitors through a variety of fun and fellowship activities. Examples of programs we have coordinated include Scrapbooking, Quilters, Progressive Dinners, Pound-Go Evenings, and congregational trips, picnics and workshops. We also maintain the kitchen and support the card and food Ministries. Nurture and Fellowship Board also sponsors the nurturing ministries such as Lay Pastor Ministry, Bereavement Ministry, the Food Ministry and the Funeral Committee.




Property

Gifts of Serving: Many of our members give selflessly of their time and energy to manage the property affairs of the church.
Gifts of Knowledge: It is helpful that board members have a general understanding of facility and landscape design.
Gifts of Craftsmanship: It is not required, but it is certainly helpful if board members possess an aptitude for painting or handiwork. This is helpful when leading groups of volunteers that may not be quite as skilled.




Stewardship Board
To educate, encourage, and bring awareness to every member of Advent the opportunities to share God's blessings with others.